We are committed to building and maintaining positive relationships with our neighbors, in particular the indigenous communities closest to our areas of operation in developing regions of the globe. We have in place a strong Social, Employment & Human Rights Policy. We are committed to providing opportunities for social, educational and economic development, including special efforts to train and hire those indigenous to the area. We also continually strive to learn more about our neighbors, their histories, their culture and changing circumstances, and to build more constructive relationships and enhance our outreach efforts. Most important is our commitment to extend respect to indigenous peoples and their cultures and to engage with them in an ongoing dialogue on issues of mutual interest.

We understand the desire of the people of Papua, Indonesia, to preserve their unique cultural traditions and are dedicated to helping them accomplish this goal. We have long supported the Asmat and Kamoro Art and Cultural Festivals. We have also sponsored social, artistic, cultural, language and economic studies of the Amungme and Kamoro people, the traditional inhabitants of our Indonesian area of operations. These studies have improved mutual communication and understanding of our neighbors and contributed significantly to international knowledge of their unique cultures. We have also sponsored two books about the Kamoro and Amungme to help us and others throughout the world understand and appreciate their societies.

In Chile, in an effort to maintain the culture and arts of the region, our El Abra operation supports the “Orquesta Niños del Altiplano,” a project that teaches children of the Chiu Chiu district how to play classical instruments. El Abra supported the construction of the second Geological Museum of Chile, along with the community of Chiu Chiu and Universidad Católica del Norte.

We funded an archaeological research team, which allowed for the discovery of one of the oldest copper mines in Chile, developed by the Atacama indigenous culture. Discoveries included a variety of tools, of which one of the most valuable was a wooden shovel considered to be one of the oldest tools of its kind in South America. The findings were submitted to local universities and are maintained by the Calama Museum.

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